Display and storage device



Dec. 15, 1964 L. B. MATTHAI DISPLAY AND STORAGE DEVICE Filed 0G17.

F G. 3 INVENTOR L .i BRUCE mrrf/A/ BY AMM ATTORNEY Util' United States Patent Oiice 3,l6l,29l Patented Dec. l5, 1964 3,l6l,29l DSPLAZ AND DEVCE Louis Bruce Matthai, Baltimore, ll/d., assigner to Ross1 Matthai Corporation, New York, NX., a corporation of New York Filed ct, l5, 1953, Ser. No. 316,384 3 Claims. (Cl. 26d-79) This invention relates to a decorative hanging holder of varied fruit-shaped coasters or the like, and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in a display and storage device for a set of coaster mats and designed to present the fanciful appearance of a basket of ,fruit when assembled.

An object of the invention is to provide a decorative matdike holder having a pocket secured to its front face forl partially receiving the lowermost row of a series of vertically offset, partially overlapping rows of coaster mats individually formed to fancifully represent fruit products, said coasters being secured to said holder in a ,fashion to fancifully represent a basket of fruit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanging holder for coasters such as above referred to, wherein said pocket serves the additional purpose of a storage container for the coasters when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display and storage device of this character designed to present a novel `and colorful appearance of unique eye appeal.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the coaster mat display and storage device of the present invention in assembled form;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2 2 of FIG, l;

FIG. 3 is a rear plan view of the device showing one means for mounting the coasters; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail illustrating the type of woven material preferably employed in the manufacture of the holder of the present invention.

ln the drawings, referring irst to FIG. l, 5 generally represents the hanging holder, which is preferably formed of a rectangular piece of Woven sheet material, preferably, but not necessarily, hemp. ln orde-r to present the general appearance of a basket, as will later appear, this sheet material is loosely woven as shown at 5a in FIG. 4.

The sheet is folded upon itself to provide a backing member 6 and a front pocket 7, the latter being of lesser vertical dimension than the former, as shown in FIG. 1, and stitched as at 8 along its vertical edges only, so as to provide an open upper edge 9. Preferably, all four edges of the holder 5 are turned inwardly and hemmed as at l0, prior to the stitching of the pocket 7, for purposes of reinforcement.

A series of coaster mats 1l are formed to respectively represent fanciful fruit shapes, and in the embodiment of the invention here shown, these coasters are fabricated of variously colored coiled braids of fiber, as shown at lla. Additional Vwoven components 1lb, shaped to represent leaves and stems of the fruit, may be included in the fanciful coasters. It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not confined yto this specific type of coaster mat, as various materia-ls such `as plastics may be employed and embellished to represent fruit. lso, within `the spirit olf the invention, the coaster mats l1 may be designed to represent other horticultural products, such as ilowers or vegetables, and instead of these mats 11 being in the form of coasters, they may comprise other utilitarian objects such as pot holders.

The coaster mats ll are secured to the backing member 5 in a plurality of vertically offset, partially overlapping rows l2 and 13, the upper row 12 being flatly secured to the backing 6, and the coaster mats of the lowermost row i3 being partially enclosed at their lower ends within the pocket 7, with their upper portions overlapping the lower portions of the adjacent coaster mats of row l2. Any suitable means may be employed for securing the coaster mats to the backing sheet 6, such, for example, yas basting stitches 14.

In assembled condition, the face of the device presents the fanciful appearance of a basket of fruit or other horticultural product, and thus serves as a unique and colorful display device for coaster mats. Prior to use, the basting stitches i4 are cut, and the coaster mats removed from the backing sheet 6, yand between uses as coaster mats, they may be loosely stored in the convenient pocket '7.

lt will be apparent that the present invention provides both an ornamental and useful article for the housewife, and can be constructed in a variety of materials, colors, and shapes.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A display and storage device comprising a sheet of loosely woven material folded upwardly upon itself at its lower end, said folded portion being of lesser vertical dimension than that of the underlying portion of said sheet and secured to the latter atits opposite, horizontal extremities forming a pocket which is open along its upper edge, a plurality of substantially flat articles individually contoured to fancifully represent horticultural products, and means securing said articles to the front face of said sheet respectively in ventically offset, partially overlapping rows with the lowermost row extending partially within the open edge of said pocket, whereby said assembled device presents the fanciful appearance of a basket of horticultural products.

2. A display and storage device as claimed in claim l, wherein `said flat articles `are respectively formed to fancifully represent a variety of fruit products.

3. The combination as claimed in claim l, wherein said flat articles `are formed of coiled ybraids of fiber.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,587,387 6/26 Lichtman 150--52 2,772,886 12/56 Parmele 273-136 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,199,774 12/59 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY AND STORAGE DEVICE COMPRISING A SHEET OF LOOSELY WOVEN MATERIAL FOLDED UPWARDLY UPON ITSELF AT ITS LOWER END, SAID FOLDED PORTION BEING OF LESSER VERTICAL DIMENSION THAN THAT OF THE UNDERLYING PORTION OF SAID SHEET AND SECURED TO THE LATTER AT ITS OPPOSITE, HORIZONTAL EXTREMITIES FORMING A POCKET WHICH IS OPEN ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ARTICLES INDIVIDUALLY CONTOURED TO FANCIFULLY REPRESENT HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS, AND MEANS SECURING SAID ARTICLES TO THE FRONT FACE OF SAID SHEET RESPECTIVELY IN VERTICALLY OFFSET, PARTIALLY OVERLAPPING ROWS WITH THE LOWERMOST ROW EXTENDING PARTIALLY WITHIN THE OPEN EDGE OF SAID POCKET, WHEREBY SAID ASSEMBLED DEVICE PRESENTS THE FANCIFUL APPEARANCE OF A BASKET OF HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 